This article was written by Jenny Smith, lead curriculum developer for Brite at Awana. It is a paid partnership.
Just like we wouldn’t give car keys to a kid and expect them to understand how to operate the vehicle or abide by the rules of the road without our instruction and guidance, we can’t expect kids to read or hear a Bible story and immediately know how it connects to the whole story of the Bible or their lives. Jenny Smith, Lead Curriculum Developer at Brite, shared how we can teach Bible stories in context of the story of the Bible and help kids grow in biblical literacy and love of the Bible.
Q&A with Jenny Smith, Lead Curriculum Developer at Brite
1. What are best practices to guide children toward a genuine love for the Bible?
Through my experience in children’s ministry, I’ve found that helping kids develop biblical literacy cultivates in them a genuine love for the Bible. I would define biblical literacy as the ability to read and understand the Bible and have a right understanding of the whole narrative of Scripture, with its recurring themes of who God is and what He does — even the literary features.
When kids better understand the whole story of the Bible, they learn it’s not a list of dos and don’ts but how God loves us and sent Jesus to rescue us from the sin that entangles us.
Kids who know the Bible can navigate a changing culture, build a strong foundation of faith and love Jesus for the rest of their lives.
Jen Wilkin says, “The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.” Helping kids develop true biblical literacy lays a foundation for lasting faith.
2. What have you found is the challenge with teaching stand-alone Bible stories?
Teaching just stories in ways that aren’t cohesive to the whole story of Scripture can diminish them to:
- Bible trivia: random facts and bits of knowledge. Knowledge is important, but kids can win Bible Jeopardy without knowing Jesus.
- Moralistic lessons: Teaching stories on their own may lead kids to see Bible characters as only heroes, without understanding how their stories tell them about God.
Preschool and elementary kids need teaching that chronologically takes them through the entire Bible every year. Kids are concrete; it’s difficult for them to understand how everything fits together if we jump from one story to the next. Also, kids need repetition. When we walk through the whole story of Scripture each year, we reinforce that the Bible is one big story.
3. What approach do you suggest for teaching the Bible in a way that leads to lasting faith?
I encourage children’s ministry leaders and volunteers to teach the story of the Bible as a story that points to Jesus and what He has done for us. Luke 24:27 says: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. The story of the Bible is the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan for people: creation, fall, redemption, restoration. Every story in Scripture is a part of that narrative.
Once kids understand the story of the Bible, they can start connecting God’s Word to their lives. One great framework we use at Brite is “He, We, Me.” Kids can look at a passage of Scripture and ask:
He: What is this teaching me about God?
We: What is this teaching me about people?
Me: How is God inviting me to respond?
For example, we can help kids process the story of David and Goliath by walking them through these truths:
He: God is more powerful than any giant.
We: We can trust in God when we are scared.
Me: I can pray to God about my fear. Through His power, I can do hard things.
The emphasis is connecting the story to who God is, not to a moralistic lesson or a “to-do.”
4. With so much biblical ground to cover on Sundays, is there a way to include the Gospel in every lesson?
A better question might be, “How can we not? …” Since the whole Bible is about Jesus, every passage we teach points to the Gospel. After teaching a Bible story, we can summarize it by sharing how it points to God’s grace and promise of redemption through Jesus. For example, with the story of Moses, we can connect God’s rescue of the Israelites from Egypt to His rescue for all people from the slavery of sin through Jesus’ death and resurrection. When we teach how Esther was willing to risk her life to save her people, we can connect it to how Jesus gave His life to save all people from death. When we routinely connect truths of the Bible this way, kids can begin to make these connections themselves!
Jenny and her team created Brite™ weekend curriculum for children’s ministry leaders to help babies through elementary-age kids develop a biblical worldview and a genuine love for Scripture.
With Brite, kids learn the story of the Bible (creation, fall, redemption, restoration) as they walk through the Bible chronologically every year. Each passage and character, from Old Testament to New, is connected to the Gospel, pointing to Jesus as our Redeemer, Savior and Lord. Plus, every lesson includes “Find It in the Bible” to build kids’ confidence in looking up Scriptures.
Brite helps you make disciples who can say, “I believe in Jesus. I’m becoming more like Him. I belong to Him forever.”
Experience Brite Preschool and Elementary Curriculum today with a FREE month of lessons at BriteCurriculum.com!
About Jenny
Jenny Smith serves as the lead curriculum developer at Brite. She served in children’s ministry for 20 years in the local church and has served ministry leaders through writing, coaching, and speaking. Jenny lives in Bradenton, Florida, with her three girls. She loves traveling, reading, and eating ice cream.
